Author: cschiwanza

Herman Basson produced a stellar all-round performance to lead St John’s College to a comfortable 30-run triumph over Parktown Boys’ High when they met in a Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two fixture on Wednesday afternoon.

In another contest played on Wednesday, Jeppe comfortably outplayed Krugersdorp High by eight wickets.

St John’s vs Parktown

St John’s stamped their authority on their beloved Mitchell Field with a sound 30-run win over Parktown. The hosts batted first, put up 160/4, then bowled out Parktown for 130.

When the toss went Nkosana Sibiya’s way, the St John’s captain and opening batsman elected to bat.

The Blues were circumspect in the first half of their innings, losing only one wicket in the power play, and midway through their innings they were just two-down.

With plenty of wickets in hand, their middle order batsmen were able to play with freedom. Herman Basson walked out to the crease in the 10th over and immediately went on the attack, clubbing five fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 56 from 34 balls. He and Connor van der Walt shared a fruitful 49-run fourth-wicket stand, with Van der Walt contributing a quickfire 14 off eight.

Before that partnership, Basson and Joshua Hall had added 33 runs, with Hall’s 39 from 31 deliveries turning out to be the second-highest score by a St John’s batsman.

At the change of innings, Basson’s job was half-finished. The right-hander was brought into the attack by Sibiya at first change and showed his class by knocking over 3/25 runs in four overs. Ethan Robinson and Aadhavan Kellan delivered good support, bagging two wickets apiece.

Abdullah Wadee defied St John’s with a patient 40 off 46 at the top of the order, while Neo Lemmer (24) and Yahya Dawood (23) got going, although it took them a long time to get into the twenties, which led to increased pressure on the remaining batsmen, who had few balls to work with.

Krugersdorp High vs Jeppe

Ryan Young won the toss and elected to bowl first when Jeppe went up against Krugersdorp in Krugersdorp. His bowlers responded with a disciplined performance, which limited the home side to 107/7 from their 20 overs. Faced with a modest total to chase, Jeppe raced to 108/2 in 11.2 overs to clinch an emphatic eight-wicket win.

Njabulo Siboza led the charge for Krugersdorp with 21 from 17 balls, but no other Krugersdorp batsmen made it to twenty. Aiden Erasmus, however, delivered a few fireworks, blasting 19 off 13 deliveries.

Reza Ayob put the clamps on the Krugersdorp innings, claiming 2/20 from his four overs. Shreth Kumar, meanwhile, snared 2/25.

When Jeppe batted, Vegas Scott demonstrated the form that had helped Jeppe to a win over St David’s Marist Inanda on Tuesday. The opener drilled seven fours on his way to 41 off 28 deliveries and shared a brilliant 69-run second-wicket partnership with Ethan Elliott.

Elliott anchored the innings with a patient 36 from 30 balls and had the best seat in the house to watch Ryan Young smash an unbeaten 26 runs off nine balls, which saw Jeppe to victory.

Summarised Scorecards

St John’s 160/4 (Herman Basson 56*, Joshua Hall 39; Lulama Sithole 2/21, Abhay Patel 2/35). Parktown 130/10 (Abdullah Wadee 46, Neo Lemmer 24; Herman Basson 3/25, Ethan Robinson 2/14, Aadhavan Kellan 2/38). St John’s won by 30 runs.

Krugersdorp 107/7 (Njabulo Siboza 21, Aiden Erasmus 19; Reza Ayob 2/20, Shreth Kumar 2/25). Jeppe 108/2 (Vegas Scott 41, Ethan Elliott 36*, Ryan Young 26*; Ntokozo Sikhosana 1/21, Njabulo Siboza 0/1). Jeppe won by eight wickets.

Troy Gordon continued his magnificent run of form with a splendid unbeaten half-century to steer King Edward VII (KES) to a comprehensive 187-run win over St Peter’s College in their Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two match at KES on Tuesday afternoon.

In the other fixture played on Tuesday, Steyn City School upset St Stithians College, clinching an eight-run victory at home.

KES vs St Peter’s

Playing at home, Gordon unleashed his full range of shots as he rocketed to an unbeaten half-century, which helped to blast KES to 244/3. The KES bowlers were, then, every bit as dominant as their batsmen, restricting St Peter’s to 57/9 from their 20 overs.

In a swashbuckling knock, Gordon put the St Peter’s bowlers to the sword, blitzing eight fours and three sixes to reach 80 off only 32 balls. He had entered the action in the 12th over and shared a brief 22-run second-wicket stand with Luke Clark in 17 deliveries. That partnership had succeeded a rollicking 146-run first-wicket stand between Clark and Tiago Dias.

The openers didn’t start out with guns blazing, respectfully getting a feel for the surface in the first over, which brought them only five runs. Then, once they had settled down, all hell broke loose.

Dias flayed five fours and three sixes on his way to 61 from 36 deliveries, while Clark, who outlasted him at the crease by 2.5 overs, smashed 79 off 42 balls, which included seven fours and four sixes.

Gordon then added 46 runs for the third wicket with Urav Mukhija in 4.1 overs before propelling KES from 210/3 to 244/3 from the last nine deliveries of the innings. KES’s captain, Matthew Bromley, had a front row seat as Gordon pummelled 33 runs in the last over-and-a-half of the innings.

In the field, Abdullah Mohammed and Connor Kuijers shared five wickets between them as St Peter’s was kept below three runs an over. Mohammed bowled brilliantly, capturing 3/1 in three overs, while Kuijers knocked over 2/9 in three.

None of the St Peter’s batsmen exited single figures, although extras made it, adding 11 runs to the St Peters’ total.

Steyn City vs St Stithians

At Steyn City, Max Burroughes stood head and shoulders above everyone else, rising to the occasion to produce a match-winning 56 from 42 deliveries, which lifted Steyn City to 143/6 after Saints had asked the hosts to bat first. Austin van Jaarsveld then led the Steyn City bowling attack, removing three batsmen, as St Stithians tallied 135/6 in reply.

Steyn City made a cautious start to their innings, with Matthew Barbour and Murray Leith sharing a 17-run opening stand in 17 balls. Barbour’s dismissal towards the end of the third over brought Burroughes to the crease, and the number three batsman took control of the innings, staying out in the middle until the 18th over, while playing a key role in seeing his side to a winning total.

The St Stithians’ run chase spluttered early when they lost two wickets in the second over, courtesy of Van Jaarsveld, who accounted for Ombesa Matsha and Nicholas Bayly in the space of five balls. That poor start set St Stithians on the back foot, and they never fully recovered.

Matthew Katzenstein tried to get Saints back on track with Thomas Collins, and the pair partnered for 70 runs for the third wicket. However, after Collins’s dismissal, Katzenstein was unable to find similar support from the remainder of the batsmen.

He fought a losing battle, and while he finished the match unbeaten with 60 from 51 deliveries, he had to watch partners enter and depart in short order.

Van Jaarsveld finished the match with 3/35 from overs and received useful support from Barbour, who bagged 2/8 in two.

Summarised Scorecards

KES 244/3 (Troy Gordon 80*, Luke Clark 79, Tiago Dias 61; Nikhil Bagratee 1//16, Vihaan Vallabh 1/38, Vayun Vallabh 1/55). St Peter’s College 57/9 (Denzel Musadziruma 9, Jono Sampson 8; Abdullah Mohammed 3/1, Connor Kuijers 2/9). KES won by 187 runs.

Steyn City 143/6 (Max Burroughes 56, Murray Leith 28; Tendai Kadyamadare 3/30, Zaakir Hanslo 1/13). St Stithians 135/6 (Matthew Katzenstein 60*, Thomas Collins 39; Austin van Jaarsveld 3/35, Matthew Barbour 2/8). Steyn City won by eight runs.

Vegas Scott struck an outstanding half-century to help Jeppe clinch a convincing eight-wicket win over St David’s Marist Inanda in their Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two contest on the Gier Oval, at St David’s, on Tuesday afternoon.

At St John’s, the home side’s left-armer Tapiwa Chikwava spun circles around Dainfern College to see his side to victory in double-quick time on Mitchell Field.

St David’s vs Jeppe

After a wonderful showing at the Wildeklawer T20, where they finished third, Jeppe’s young team maintained their momentum by defeating St David’s Marist Inanda in their second-round tie.

Vegas Scott led the charge for Jeppe with a sensational and rapid half-century, which lifted the visitors to 167/2 in 15.4 overs and earned them an important win over the national runner-up, St David’s, who won the toss and chose to bat first, scoring 165/4.

The hosts started well with a solid 117-run opening stand between Roberto Mariano (62) and Sohail Seonath (57) in 14.3 overs. While brisk, it wasn’t enough to set St David’s up for a winning score. SA u19 player, Jason Rowles, came in and played a high-tempo knock that added 36 runs from 22 balls, but the home side needed more runs on the scoreboard.

Scott wasted no time before he got going in Jeppe’s chase. The Jeppe opener slashed seven fours and three sixes in his 64, which took only 35 balls. His stay in the middle lasted 12 overs, and when he departed Jeppe was in a strong position on 126/2.

Nathan Elliott, with whom he shared a 48-run second-wicket partnership, then took the reins and steered the visitors to a comfortable win, weighing in with an unbeaten 47 off 32 deliveries.

When Jeppe crossed the line with 4.2 overs to spare he was in the company of his captain, Ryan Young, who made 16 not out.

St John’s vs Dainfern College

In Houghton, Tapiwa Chikwava spun a web around the Dainfern College batsmen, snaring 4/2 as the Blues bundled the visitors out for only 23 in 14.2 overs. Nkosana Sibiya then faced just eight deliveries to score an unbeaten 14 runs as he spirited St John’s to 27/1, and a nine-wicket win, in only 2.2 overs.

In the lead-up to the match, rain had fallen over Johannesburg for a couple of days, and when Sibiya, the St John’s captain, won the toss, he was eager to take advantage of the tricky conditions. Bowling first was an easy decision and the right call.

Dainfern started slowly, scoring only four runs in the first three overs. Then, their first wicket went down in the fourth over. From there, their innings quickly fell apart. They were, at least, helped by 12 extras, which made up more than half of their total.

Chikwava showed great discipline, delivering three maiden overs on his way to snaring 4/2 from four overs, while Herman Basson picked up three wickets, but he was the only bowler to concede double-digit runs, going for 11.

When they batted, it took St John only 12 minutes to overhaul Dainfern’s 23 runs.

Summarised Scorecards

St David’s 165/4 (Roberto Mariano 62, Sohail Seonath 57; Zizi Mkhize 2/21, Reza Ayob 1/33). Jeppe 167/2 (Vegas Scott 64, Ethan Elliott 47*; Jason Rowles 1/23, Miles Pegg 0/32). Jeppe won by eight wickets.

Dainfern 23/10 (Tapiwa Chikwava 4/2, Herman Basson 3/11). St John’s 27/1 (Nkosana Sibiya 14*; Hilton Pieterson 1/6). St John’s won by nine wickets.

Fourways High 127/6 (Dylan Coulentianos 35, James Lottering 30; Melokuhle Dladla 2/27, Zaheer Suleman 1/10). Central Hub 115/9 (Yazdaan 38, Tameem Ismail 24; Aidan Fish 2/12, Dylan Coulentianos 2/16, Nathan Malherbe 2/29). Fourways won by 12 runs.

Waterkloof has a chance to reclaim the Wildeklawer T20 title, which they last won in 2023, when they take on last year’s beaten finalists, Grey College, at Camp Discovery on Sunday morning. The contest will be a rematch of one of last year’s semifinals.

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In the 2024 edition, Grey College emerged victorious thanks to a splendid performance from Ruben Maree with the bat and an enthralling display of legspin bowling by Daniel Hattingh.

Maree struck a match-winning half-century, contributing 68 runs, before Hattingh snared four wickets to help secure a 27-run win for the Bloemfontein side.

Both will be on hand again as Grey College tries to outplay the Pretoria locals once more. But they face a stiff challenge from Waterkloof.

There was little action on Saturday, day three of the event, because of rain, which resulted in the organisers consulting the points table and awarding the top-ranked team, Waterkloof, a berth in the final.

Klofies earned their spot in the title game courtesy of the points they accumulated from their four-wicket triumph over Rondebosch on Thursday, which was followed by a 37-run triumph over St David’s Marist Inanda on Friday.

Waterkloof’s duo of Riley Miller, who scored an outstanding 60 against Rondebosch, and AJ de Villiers, who delivered a masterful 79 against St David’s, were key performers for their side.

Despite the rain on Saturday, Grey College was able to fit in a 10-over-a-side semi-final clash against Jeppe at Camp Discovery. It went swimmingly for the Free Staters, who romped to a nine-wicket win.

Henru de Wet, Grey’s captain, unleashed a five-man bowling attack after Jeppe won the toss and chose to bat first. They mustered 72/7 but were kept in check by Jano Venter, who nabbed 2/12 in two overs.

The skipper, De Wet, played his part, picking up 2/17 in two overs, while Otto Krause, Sicelo Matayi, and Juan Maree added a wicket each.

Grey College needed to bat at just over seven runs an over to win and one meaningful innings would go a long way towards lifting them to victory. Instead, they got two.

Christian Kind spearheaded his side’s run chase, blasting his way to an unbeaten 36 from 17 balls, while Juan Maree blitzed 30 from 16 and shared an opening partnership of 66 runs, which took the Bloemfontein school to the cusp of victory. When it came, Kind was partnered by Daniel Hattingh, who finished with nine not out.

Grey College and Waterkloof meet at 09:30.

Summarised Scorecard

Jeppe 75/7 (Vegas Scott 17, Ethan Elliot 13*, Lincoln Casais 13; Jano Venter 2/12, Henru de Wet 2/17). Grey College 77/1 (Christian Kind 36*, Juan Maree 30; Reza Ayob 1/16). Grey College won by nine wickets.

Enrique Strydom struck a steady half-century for Graeme College, while Kingswood’s players pulled together as Makhanda sides cruised to comfortable victories over Dale College and Westering, respectively on Saturday.

Graeme College vs Dale College

Strydom recorded an unbeaten half-century to lead Graeme College to an emphatic nine-wicket win over Dale College in Qonce.

The hosts won the toss, chose to bat first, and put a rather laboured 144 runs on the board in 41 overs. Graeme College, in reply, needed only 22.5 overs to get to 146/1 and claim victory.

Strydom, who opened the batting with Sibabalwe Deliwe, commandeered the chase with authority. He eased to 58 from 64 balls in an innings that featured nine fours.

Deliwe contributed a 49-ball 34 and shared a solid 78-run opening partnership with Strydom. When Deliwe exited, Corbin Tidbury took over and sped to 36 not out from 28 deliveries to see Graeme over the finishing line.

Earlier in the day, Lisekho Zinyane, Ajay Jeggels, Kitts McConnachie, and Andrew Muir each picked up two wickets and made life difficult for Dale College’s batsmen.

Zinyane was almost unplayable, conceding a miserly 11 runs from 10 overs, while Jeggels had the next best figures with an economy of 2.6 after conceding only 18 runs from seven overs.

Kingswood vs Westering

At City Lords, a wonderful team effort from Kingswood drove the home side to a seven-wicket win over Westering.

David Loudon starred with the ball for Kingswood after they were asked to bowl first by their opposition. He removed three batsmen to help limit Westering to 112 all out from 34.2 overs.

Joshua Smith did his best to lift Westering to a decent total with a hard-fought 46 from 83 balls, but he lacked support from his teammates.

It took Kingswood only 24.1 overs to overhaul Westering and they finished on 114/3. Matthew Spring saw them to victory with an unbeaten run-a-ball 33. Earlier useful contributions from Josh Loon (29) and David Loudon (21) laid the foundation for the win.

St Andrew’s College vs Westering

The defeat to Kingswood was Westering’s second in successive days. On Friday, they fell to an eight-wicket loss at the hands of St Andrew’s College.

As they did on Saturday, Westering opted to bat first and tallied 154 all out in 40.1 overs, with Joshua Smith their standard-setter, scoring more than half his side’s runs, with 78 off 11 balls. Kelvin van As chipped in with 30 off 58 balls, but there was not much else about which to get excited.

The wickets were shared between only three bowlers, with William Beamish capturing 4/34, while Samuel Scheckter and James Badenhorst sent three batsmen packing each.

St Andrew’s, then, had no trouble chasing down a middling total, and they did in in double-quick time, requiring only 21.2 overs to race to 155/2.

Rhys Wiblin led the charge with 55 from only 46 balls, while Ben Scharges saw College home with an unbeaten 53 from 58 deliveries.

Summarised Scorecards

Graeme College 146/1 (Enrique Strydom 58*, Corbin Tidbury 36*, Sibabalwe Deliwe 34; Endinako Mnguni 1/26). Dale College 144/10 (Endinako Mnguni 22, Zingce Poni 20; Lisekho Zinyane 2/11, Kitts McConnachie 2/17, Ajay Jeggels 2/18, Andrew Muir 2/32). Graeme College won by nine wickets.

Westering 112/10 (Joshua Smith 46, David Kivedo 19; David Loudon 3/19, Josh Loon 2/4, Daniel Jakins 2/17). Kingswood 114/3 (Matthew Spring 33*, Josh Loon 29, David Loudon 21; Kelvin van As 2/19, Dhaveshen Pillay 1/35). Kingswood won by seven wickets.

Westering 154/10 (Joshua Smith 78, Kelvin van As 30; William Beamish 4/34, Samuel Scheckter 3/14, James Badenhorst 3/25). St Andrew’s College 155/2 (Rhys Wilbin 55, Ben Scharges 53*; Dhaveshen Pillay 1/10, Lufefe Ntenge 1/28) St Andrew’s College won by eight wickets.

Dian Taljaard and Wander Roolvink scythed sensational half-centuries to build a rock-solid platform for Noordheuwel in a 139-run Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two victory over Queens High School on Noordheuwel’s Main Oval on Friday.

Taljaard assessed the conditions and opted to bat first before mowing down the Queens’ bowling attack as the hosts rumbled their way to 217/2.

Nories then unleashed their bowling attack, which ran through the Queens’ batting and bundled them out for only 78 runs in 18.5 overs.

Taljaard tonked 11 fours and six sixes as he rocketed to 95 from just 47 deliveries and shared a dominant 134-run opening stand with Roolvink, who also went hard at the visitors.

Roolvink struck five fours and three sixes for an unbeaten 50-ball 72 and kept Noordheuwel rolling after Taljaard’s dismissal. He also shared a 66-run second-wicket partnership with Reney van der Berg, who made a brisk 29 off 19 deliveries.

Then, when Noordheuwel took to the field. JD Bezuidenhout and JJ Basson made life uncomfortable for the Queens’ top order and were rewarded with three wickets in the powerplay. That start set the tone for the rest of the innings as Queens was kept off balance.

Heinrich Smith starred for Nories with a return of 3/11 from three overs, while Tristan Helmand and Bezuidenhout bagged a brace each. Helmand finished with 2/10 in 2.5 overs, while Bezuidenhout picked up 2/25 in three.

Queens would have recorded a much lower total had the hosts been better disciplined with their lines. Twenty-eight extras were the largest contributor to the Queens’ total. None of their batsmen made it to 20.

Nkateko Maluleka top-scored with a laboured 18 from 22 balls, while Bafana Mthunzi, with 12, was the only other player to reach double figures.

Summarised Scorecard

Noordheuwel 217/2 (Dian Taljaard 95, Wander Roolvink 72; Thami Lethebele 1/21, Nkateko Maluleka 1/31). Queens High 78/10 (Nkateko Maluleka 18, Bafana Mthunzi 12; Heinrich Smith 3/11, Tristan Helmund 2/10, JD Bezuidenhout 2/25). Noordheuwel won by 139.

Troy Gordon and Ismaeel Omar produced stellar performances with the bat for King Edward VII (KES) and Durban High School (DHS) against St Andrew’s School and Wynberg Boys’ High respectively to power their sides to victories in their Wildeklawer T20 matches on Friday.

King Edward VII (KES) vs St Andrew’s School

Zieg Roos, the KES captain, placed his trust in his batsmen and opted to visit the crease first when the toss went his way. Gordon, who has been in superlative form, repaid his skipper’s confidence by keeping the ball on the ground as he stroked six fours on his way to a steady 45-ball 55 that set KES up for a total of 144/6.

Roos then deployed his bowlers well, and they dismissed St Andrew’s for 116 in 19.1 overs to record a 28-run win.

Gordon was forced to make an early appearance at the crease after Luke Clark lost his wicket in the first over. Playing with composure, he spent the next 15.2 overs in the middle and shared a 71-run third wicket partnership with Roos, whose measured 24 from 29 balls was the Johannesburg school’s second-highest score.

When St Andrew’s batted, they were unable to establish a foothold, thanks mostly to the efforts of Connor Kuijers and Lebone Ramedupe, who snapped up three wickets each for KES. They finished with almost identical analyses, with Ramedupe picking up 3/16 in four overs, and Kuijers claiming 3/17 from four.

FG Botha top-scored for St Andrew’s with 25 from 24 balls, while Reuben van Aarde contributed 22 from 22 deliveries.

Durban High School (DHS) vs Wynberg Boys’ High

Left-handed opening batsman Ismaeel Omar slashed 87 from 59 balls to lead DHS to 158/5 against Wynberg on Pretoria High School Old Boys’ Hofmeyr Park A Field. School‘s bowlers then gave little away to hold Wynberg to 147/4 in reply, thus resulting in an 11-run win for the Horseflies.

Omar almost lasted the entire DHS innings, losing his wicket with only two balls remaining. By then, though, he, along with Taine Havermann, who weighed in with 35, had set up their side for victory.

When Wynberg replied, Michail Tarentaal was the joint top run-scorer with Storme van Rooyen, with both tallying 36 runs. Unfortunately for Cape Town school, they couldn’t escape the shackles of a tidy DHS attack, and they came up a little short of the mark.

Grey High School vs CSA Hub Invitational XI

At the Gijima Sports Ground, Connor Parry packed four fours and two sixes into an unbeaten 46 from 35 balls to set the stage for Grey High’s six-wicket win over the CSA Hub Invitational XI. Chasing the Hub XI’s modest 82 all out, Grey cruised to victory in 13 overs, with Parry’s knock doing the heavy lifting.

Only three batsmen from the Invitational XI, Mkosibonile Sibisi (17), Daveric Petersen (16), and Kurt Botha (12) reached double figures.

Jeppe High School for Boys vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool

Jeppe edged out Affies by a single run in a low-scoring thriller at Sinovich Park, performing a minor miracle by successfully defending a sub-standard score.

The Kensington boys won the toss and chose to bat first but run scoring was tough and they stumbled to only 90 all in their 20 overs.

Petrus Rautenbach was Affies’ destroyer in chief, sending four batsmen packing for only nine runs from his four overs, while Ryan Young led Jeppe’s batting effort with 22 runs from 17 balls.

It didn’t appear as if Jeppe had posted a winning total, but 90 runs proved to be just enough. Shreth Kumar led their bowling attack, snaring 3/15 from four overs, which helped to ensure Affies came up agonisingly short, finishing on 89/8 in reply.

JP Botha was Affies’ highest scorer with 21 runs from 24 balls, while Vihan Pretorius and Daniel Murray added 16 runs each.

Summarised Scorecards

KES 144/6 (Troy Gordon 55, Zieg Roos 24; Heindré Serfontein 3/22, Cullen Kakora 1/25) St Andrew’s School 116/10 (FG Botha 25, Reuben van Aarde 22; Lebone Ramedupe 3/16, Connor Kuijers 3/17). KES won by 28 runs.

DHS 158/5 (Ismaeel Omar 87, Taine Havemann 35; Joshua Prince 2/27, Michail Tarentaal 1/24). Wynberg 147/4 (Michail Tarentaal 36*, Storme van Rooyen 36; Taine Havemann 1/14, Ethan Cooper 1/12, Bayanda Majola 1/25). DHS won by 11 runs.

CSA Invitational Hub XI 82/10 (Mkosibonile Sibisi 17, Daveric Petersen 16; Matthew Marshbank 3/11, Logan Groch 2/3). Grey High 83/4 (Connor Parry 46*, Markus Potgieter 22; Awonke Mngini 2/13, Rivoningo Chauke 1/14). Grey High won by six wickets.

Jeppe 90/10 (Ryan Young 22, Reza Ayob 18*; Petrus Rautenbach 4/9, Nico Loggenberg 2/14, Zian Labuschagne 2/14). Affies 89/8 (JP Botha 21, Daniel Murray 16*, Vihan Pretorius 16, Shreth Kumar 3/15). Jeppe won by one run.

Juan Maree struck a great half-century and bagged a brace of wickets to lead Grey College to a comfortable 41-run win over Menlopark when they crossed swords in their Wildeklawer T20 tournament fixture on Affies‘ Main Oval on Friday.

At Camp Discovery, AJ de Villiers supplied a rapid half-century to catapult Waterkloof to a 51-run victory over St David’s Marist Inanda, while Northwood cantered to a five-wicket win over Paul Roos, and Rondebosch Boys’ High eased to a 49-run win over Westville Boys’ High.

Grey College vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark

After being put in to bat by Die Hoërskool Menlopark, Grey College responded with vigour, galloping along to 189/7 before limiting Menlo’s reply to 148/7 from their 20 overs.

Maree carved four fours and as many sixes as he blazed the trail with an outstanding 57 from 39 balls. Grey College made such good use of the powerplay that the loss of two wickets in the first six overs looked insignificant compared to the impact they derived from the favourable fielding restrictions.

Christian Kind, who opened the batting with Maree, blitzed a 15-ball 30 as the pair raced to 40 runs in 3.4 overs. Kind’s replacement, Daniel Hattingh, then took only nine balls for his 15, which helped to carry Grey to 61/2 in 5.4 overs.

That rollicking start allowed Aiden Dodd (30) room to find his feet and anchor the innings, while further hasty contributions from River Scott (26 from 13) and Bergh Vorster (15* from 4) kept the momentum going.

Menlopark opening batsman, Dian van Zyl, mirrored Grey College’s aggressive approach, scoring an exceptional 63 from 43 balls. Unfortunately for him, the rest of their batting lineup couldn’t maintain that tempo. Not even a brisk 18 off nine balls by Tiaan Serfontein at the death helped as the Pretoria school came up well short of Grey’s challenging total.

Maree showed off his all-round qualities by taking 2/22 in four overs, while Henru de Wet played his part by nabbing 2/24 from four.

Hoërskool Waterkloof vs St David’s Marist Inanda

AJ de Villiers set up stall at the top of the order for Waterkloof, bashing eight fours and two sixes on his way to 79 off 48 balls after Klofies had been asked to bat first by St David’s. His dynamic effort rocketed Waterkloof to a robust 211/6 before their bowlers restricted St David’s to 160/9.

De Villiers stayed in the middle for 12 overs, and that was ample time for him to inflict serious damage on the St David’s bowling attack. The Johannesburg side suffered when he was joined by his captain Riley Miller. Together, they constructed an 86-run third-wicket partnership in just 42 balls, with Miller slamming 28 runs from 15 balls.

Franco Schmidt added some lower-order impetus with a brisk 38 from 22.

Jason Rowles valiantly fought back for St David’s with a spirited 45 from 22 balls. However, his effort was enough to turn the tide for the Sandton side. The rest of their batting order struggled to get match the required run rate.

Rivan Booysen stood tall with the ball for Waterkloof, capturing 3/20 in four overs, while Jean Cloete and Ricardo Crous picked up two wickets apiece.

Northwood School vs Paul Roos Gimnasium

Northwood met Paul Roos at Die Hoërskool Menlopark, where the Knights, after winning the toss, chose to bowl first. They did a good job, limiting Paul Roos to 126/8 before replying with 130/5 in 18.5 overs to take victory.

Thabiso Mtambo kept Paul Roos from settling into a groove by knocking over 3/22 in four overs. He was well supported by James Searle and Ryan van Zyl, who took two wickets each, while Keegan Reeves added a single scalp.

Number eight batsman Niel Barnard, with an unbeaten 36, and number nine, Marcus Conradie, with 33 were the only batsmen from Paul Roos to pass the 30-run mark. However, those who had visited the crease before them had chewed up too many balls for too few runs.

David de Bruyn led Northwood’s reply, scoring a brisk 52 from 44 balls, which allowed the other Knights’ batsmen to adopt a more cautious approach.

Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Westville Boys’ High

Rondebosch and Westville locked horns at Hoërskool Waterkloof, where Janco Webb scripted a sensational match-winning knock for the Capetonians. The middle order batsman slashed an unbeaten half-century to help propel Rondebosch to 158/5 before Schalk Fourie bagged a four-wicket haul as Westville was bowled out for only 109 in 18.1 overs.

Daniel Bosman (21), Daniel Cooke (22), and Noah Heath (34) went at almost a run-a-ball during their stay at the crease. The tempo rocketed, though, when Webb came out to bat.

He entered after the fourth wicket fell and proceeded to smash five fours and four sixes in a scintillating 28-ball 62. His effort was the difference between Rondebosch recording a middling score and an unassailable total.

When ‘Bosch took to the field, Fourie matched Webb’s energy and stifled Westville’s progress by knocking over 4/13 in three overs. Cooke and Bosman also contributed a brace of wickets each as Rondebosch romped to victory.

Kyle McGough, with 24, was the only Westville batsman to make it beyond the teens, but he fought a lone battle with little support.

Summarised Scorecards 

Grey College 189/7 (Juan Maree 57, Christian Kind 30, Aiden Dodd 30; Murray Hofmeyr 3/26, Heinrich Claassen 1/26). Menlopark 148/7 (Dian van Zyl 64, James Bronkhorst 28; Juan Maree 2/22, Henru de Wet 2/24). Grey College won by 41 runs.

Waterkloof 211/6 (AJ de Villiers 79, Franco Schmidt 38*; Morteza Manack 2/42, Jason Rowles 1/32). St David’s 160/9 (Jason Rowles 45, Samrat Basu 31; Rivan Booysen 3/20, Ricardo Crous 2/12, Jean Cloete 2/23). Waterkloof won by 51 runs.

Paul Roos 126/8 (Niel Barnard 36*, Marcus Conradie 33; Thabiso Mtambo 3/22, Ryan van Zyl 2/12, James Searle 2/18). Northwood 130/5 (David de Bruyn 52, Ross McGlashan 22; Luca Plekker 2/16, Dion Slabber 2/22). Northwood won by five wickets.

Rondebosch 158/8 (Janko Webb 62*, Noah Heath 34; Ewan du Toit 3/28, Sean McGough 1/13). Westville 109/10 (Kyle McGough 24, Tristin Delvin 18; Schalk Fourie 4/13, Daniel Cooke 2/18, Daniel Bosman 2/13). Rondebosch won by 49 runs.

Sohail Seonath bashed a brilliant unbeaten century for St David’s Marist Inanda, while Thomas Collins top-scored for St Stithians College as their sides marched to victories over Monument and Dobsonville respectively in Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two matches on Wednesday afternoon.

On La Valla Oval, the coin fell in favour of the St David’s captain, Jason Rowles, and the allrounder opted to bat first on a pitch he knows well.

Seonath piloted the innings from the top of the order and led the hosts to a healthy 169/2. Rowles, then, took control with the ball as St David’s limited Monument to 134/9 in reply, thus securing a 35-run win.

Seonath was the constant in the St David’s innings, flaying 12 fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 101 off only 65 balls.

The opener shared a 48-run opening stand with Roberto Mariano, then joined forces with Rowles for a brief 20-run second-wicket stand, before finally combining with Jonah Gruskin for an unbroken 101-run third-wicket partnership. Gruskin was not out on 33 from 26 balls at the end of the St David’s innings.

Rowles ensured that Monument struggled to build momentum in their run chase by striking twice in the second over to undermine Monnas‘ pursuit. From there, progress was slow, with the visitors losing wickets at regular intervals.

Ibrahim Haffejee did well, though, to chip in with a 28-ball 34, while Zaine van der Vyver scored 31 from 35 balls. However, no other Monument batsmen reached the 20-run mark.

Rowles did most of the damage with his spin, snaring four wickets for 18 runs in four overs. He was well-supported by his new ball partner, Christopher Emslie, who bagged three wickets for 28 runs from four overs.

In another match played on Wednesday, St Stithians put 159/5 on the board, batting first against Dobsonville at Dobsonville. Saints then delivered a stellar bowling performance to restrict the hosts to only 60/7 from their 20 overs, thus resulting in a 99-run victory.

Not everything went smoothly for St Stithians, with Dobsonville removing captain, Nicholas Bayly, and Ombesa Matsha in the opening 2.2 overs of the contest. Unfortunately for the home side, those early strikes resulted in Thomas Collins and Matthew Katzenstein joining forces at the crease.

The duo stitched together a match-winning 110-run third-wicket partnership. Collins top-scored for Saints with 66 from 54, hitting just two fours and a six, while Katzenstein pressed the accelerator, striking five fours and a six in his 35-ball 52.

When they batted, Dobsonville did well not to lose any wickets in the powerplay. The downside to their approach was that their run scoring rate was slow. After 6.4 overs, they had crawled to 18/1. In a 20-over clash, that proved to be their undoing. They were behind the required run rate and they never recovered.

Katlego Moshoete laboured hard for 26 from 55 balls, while Luvuyo Mtimkulu made 15 off 31. They were, however, the only batsmen to exit single figures scores.

Zaakir Hanslo was Saints’ most successful bowler with a pair of wickets for only eight runs in four overs. Jason Joiner also bagged a brace but went for 16 from two overs.

Summarised Scorecards

St David’s 169/2 (Seonath Sohail 101*, Jonah Gruskin 33*; Zian Maritz 2/26, Ibrahim Haffejee 0/6) Monument 134/9 (Ibrahim Haffejee 34, Zaine van der Vyver 31; Jason Rowles 4/18, Christopher Emslie 3/28). St David’s won by 35 runs.

St Stithians 159/5 (Thomas Collins 66, Matthew Katzenstein 52; Lethabo Mohatli 2/12, Lindokuhle Delport 1/14). Dobsonville 60/7 (Katlego Moshoete 26, Luvuyo Mtimkulu 15*; Zaakir Hanslo 2/8, Jason Joiner 2/26). St Stithians won by 99 runs.

Nkosana Sibiya and Herman Basson charged to impressive half-centuries to set up St John’s College up for an emphatic 138-run triumph over Rand Park High in their Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two contest at Rand Park on Wednesday afternoon.

The contrast between the teams’ innings was chalk and cheese.

The Blues, who called incorrectly at the toss and were asked to bat, romped to 232/6 in 20 overs. When it was their turn to bat, Rand Park laboured their way to 94/9 after their 20 overs.

Basson, batting fourth in the order, shot the lights out with an outstanding 63 from 32 deliveries in an innings that featured five fours and four sixes. He had to make an early trip to the crease at the start of the fourth over, when he joined forces with Sibiya, who was carting the Rand Park bowlers left, right, and centre.

Together, the duo added 56 runs in 29 balls for the third wicket. Their stand was broken when Sibiya was dismissed for a brisk 30-ball 58. Basson, though, carried on the onslaught in a 60-run fourth-wicket partnership with Joshua Hall, who weighed in with 42.

The St John’s batsmen were relentless, taking the attack to the Rand Park bowlers. Even after Basson and Sibiya had departed, the high tempo of run scoring continued. Connor van der Walt was especially destructive as he rocketed to an unbeaten 41 off only 17 deliveries.

Then, when it was their turn to field, the Blues didn’t offer the Rand Park High batsmen room to express themselves. They bowled tighter lines than their hosts and conceded only nine extras compared to Rand Park’s 16.

That disciplined bowling also meant that none of the three Rand Park batsmen who reached double figures did so at a strike rate above 100.

Troy Morom, who top-scored with a valiant 42, faced 47 deliveries, while Alix Snyders and Kopano Ndlovu, who scored 10 runs apiece, needed a combined 27 balls to do so.

Basson showcased his all-round abilities by bagging a brace of wickets for 18 runs in four overs. However, Juan de Villiers was the most successful bowler for St John’s, by a nose, snagging 2/17 from his four overs. Tapiwa Chikwava‘s two-wicket haul cost him 21 runs.

Scorecard

St John’s 232/6 (Herman Basson 63, Nkosana Sibiya 58, Joshua Hall 42, Connor van der Walt 41*; Troy Morom 3/37, Liam McFarlane 2/33). Rand Park 94/9 (Troy Morom 42, Alix Snyders 10*, Kopano Ndlovu 10; Juan de Villiers 2/17, Herman Basson 2/18, Tapiwa Chikwava 2/21). St John’s won by 138 runs.